When we reconvened after minibreak, we visited the British Library Centre for Conservation. Most of the archives we visited in London focused on preservation, keeping items in their original condition, and preventing further damage. The BLCC, however, focuses on conservation, the act of restoring items in the collection. The discrepancy is because the items in the British Library are all available for patron use, so the BLCC is tasked with keeping materials in working condition. It was really cool to see a place set up for conservation, as a contrast to the preservation archives we’d seen. For one, the Centre was built to maximize light in the work room, a sharp contrast to the archives that try to protect documents from light. Another change is the presence of wet rooms, where work with solutions can be done without risking accidentally damaging other items.
The British Library has 150 million items in its collection,
and the collection is managed by different divisions. Each division is allotted
a certain number of conservation hours for the year, and they choose which
items to spend them on. Usually that means that the items being conserved are
the ones chosen to go on display. The Centre helps the divisions make decisions
about what needs to be done to conserve the item by asking a series of
questions about the item’s priority, frequency of use, and whether or not a
digital version is available for scholars.
We were shown some of the materials used in conservation,
including the mulberry paper/cloth/tissue used to strength and add flexibility
to pages. At times a book requires a new set of covers to keep it together for
circulation. In that case, the original cover is preserved and kept boxed with
the newly bound book. Nothing is destroyed, but changes must be made for
scholars to have access. The boxes used to house the books are specially built
phase boxes, which are custom sized for the items.
We had the opportunity to learn about gold finishing at the
Centre. We learned about the tools for finishing and the techniques, and even
got to handle a slip of gold leaf, which is beyond delicate, and very hard to
use! Some of the tricks of the trade include using one’s forehead oil to gently
lift the leaf. When we were passing the bit of leaf around, part of it actually
conformed to my fingerprint, and nothing could get it to transfer without
destroying it. I’m very impressed by gold finishers.
That afternoon, we had tickets for the Harry Potter movie
set tour, so we set off to catch the train. When we reached the station and
went to board our train, we discovered that the tickets we’d been sold wouldn’t
work, and we only had 15 minutes to catch our train. We frantically waited in
line to get new tickets, but only one window was open, and it had a sign posted
that she was a trainee, so to please be patient! With minutes left, another window
opened and we were able to buy new tickets. We actually ran to jump on our
train. The girls who’d purchased their tickets separately had gotten on the
train already, and didn’t even know we’d made it.
The Harry Potter tour was probably my favorite experience in
London. It was
amazing! From the very beginning, when we watched the video of Emma, Daniel,
and Rupert talking about filming, to the doors to the Great Hall opening and
walking in, to the very end, it was wonderful. Everything there was actually
used in the filming of the movies; it was the original sets, costumes, and
props. Walking through the Great Hall, visiting the Gryffindor Common Room, and
popping into Dumbledore’s office… it was amazing. We saw the horcruxes and
Mad-Eyed Moody’s trunk, the door to the Chamber of Secrets and the Mirror of
Erised, And we were all giddy as school girls. 
Halfway through the tour, you stop between the buildings in
an outdoor courtyard, where you can buy some refreshments, including
Butterbeer! I didn’t expect to like Butterbeer, but I did. It tasted like butterscotch
and cream soda, with a butterscotch foam topping. Sweet, but refreshing. Also
in the courtyard was the Knight Bus, Sirius’s motorbike, the Weasley’s flying
car, the Hogwart’s bridge, Privet Drive, and Potter home in Godric’s Hollow. We
took tons of pictures, and started taking a lot of funny ones, like a terrified
pose outside of the Potter’s.
In the other half of the tour, we started in the creature
creation, costume, and make-up displays. There was a life-sized Aragog, which,
no thank you. Then, I turned a corner, and it was Diagon Alley! When you walked
down Diagon Alley, it was clearly just shop fronts and forced perspective
making the Alley look larger, but that first look was such a thrill! It was
like you stepped right into the books. After wandering past the shops that are
so familiar from the books, we ended up in a design studio, which showed off
the various sketches from the creation of the movies. There were also a number
of models built to design the sets. And then we walked into the next room.
It was take-you-breath-away magical. A model of Hogwarts
that was probably forty or fifty feet across. That room was just extraordinary.
I swear I don’t know how we didn’t witness any proposals, because if I lived
anywhere in the UK,
that’s where I’d demand to have the question popped. No one could say no with
the majesty of Hogwarts in front of them. The lights were lowered in the model
room, in deference to the awe-inspiring castle. I learned a lot about the
construction of Hogwarts from the video displays in that room, information I
immediately relayed to those around me.
When we exited through the gift shop, it was nearly as good
as the tour. I probably spent more than a half hour there, alone, pouring over
all the Harry Potter merchandise they’d put together from the books and movies.
I wanted EVERYTHING, from the Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, to the Honeyduke’s
sweets, and Quidditch jerseys. I restrained myself and only purchased a wand. I
got a replica of my favorite character’s, Luna Lovegood.
I’ve said about this whole trip that all of Britain is
Harry Potter, and it was glorious visiting the capital of it all. Harry Potter
has been a huge part of my life, and it was so gratifying to get to physically
disappear into the world of Harry Potter for a few hours.
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